On the first day of the 2007 legislative session,
the Windstorm Mitigation Study Committee published its final report
analyzing mitigation efforts in Florida, including the My Safe Florida
Home program, and detailing recommendations for future efforts to harden
homes in Florida.

The committee was created as a result of House Bill
1A, passed by the Florida Legislature during Special Session. The
committee was charged with analyzing short- and long-term solutions and
programs that address the need to immediately and effectively harden
homes in Florida. Copies of the report were delivered Tuesday to the
Governor, Chief Financial Officer, Senate President, Speaker of the
House and Insurance Commissioner.

Specifically, the committee cited three reasons for
the importance of mitigation in Florida: (1) mitigation helps reduce
property losses from catastrophic storms; (2) homeowners are less likely
to be charged assessments for catastrophic damage if losses are
minimized; and (3) homes and businesses that are hardened are eligible
for savings on their wind insurance premiums. The committee’s recommendations fell into several
categories, including: improving the My Safe Florida Home program,
considering new approaches to advance mitigation, implementing insurance
and construction reforms to encourage “code-plus” development, providing
incentives to encourage home- hardening efforts by homeowners,
identifying potential funding, educating and engaging the public about
the importance of mitigation, and supporting research.

Floridians can learn more about the My Safe Florida
Home program and how they can harden their homes by visiting
www.MySafeFloridaHome.com.